GJr: Hillspeed Latest Snetterton summary

SIXTH PODIUM OF SEASON FOR TITLE CONTENDER INGRAM
High Wycombe racer Tom Ingram has closed to within just four points of
the Ginetta Junior Championship lead following a successful, if
hard-fought, outing at Snetterton in Norfolk over the...

SIXTH PODIUM OF SEASON FOR TITLE CONTENDER INGRAM

High Wycombe racer Tom Ingram has closed to within just four points of
the Ginetta Junior Championship lead following a successful, if
hard-fought, outing at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend, 7th/8th
August.

Battling back from the tail of the field in round 11 on Sunday morning,
having had a problem with gear selection on the first lap, the Hillspeed
racer scythed his way through the field superbly and managed to take
third place on the final tour -- his sixth podium of the year.

Lining up fifth on the grid, Ingram initially looked to get away well but
his G40 racer got stuck in third gear and by the time everything had
sorted out, he was plum last and with a huge amount of work to do in just
nine laps.

On lap two Ingram was into the top 12 and by the sixth tour he had made
his way into eighth as he closed on the lead group of cars. Gaining four
more places by the time the race reached the end of the penultimate lap,
a podium result looked a distinct possibility. Sealing the deal on the
final lap, he passed Alex Austin to take a very well deserved third place
finish.

Ingram was as close as he could have been to making it two podiums from
two races in the second outing, round 12, but a slow-motion replay of the
live ITV4 television footage was instrumental in seeing Louise Richardson
credited with third place by a mere 0.001 seconds.

After just a single racing lap the Safety Car was deployed due to a
multi-car tangle at the Esses which very unfortunately caused significant
damage to Hillspeed team-mate Seb Morris' car. Minding his own
business after a storming run to a career best sixth place in round 11,
the 14-year-old car racing rookie could do nothing as at least two cars
made contact with him.

After finally clearing away the debris and Morris' stricken G40 in
time for the start of the sixth tour, the race resumed over just four
racing laps. Ingram moved into fourth on lap seven following a spin for
Adam Bonham and then on the last lap he pulled alongside third placed
Richardson on the run to the line from the final chicane -- just
missing the podium by the narrowest of margins.

Although the damage caused to Morris' car in race two did put a cloud
over the conclusion of his weekend, the Marford-based teenager delivered
an exceptional performance in the opening encounter having qualified very
strongly inside the top 10 -- just 0.3 seconds shy of reigning Ginetta
Junior Champion Sarah Moore's pace.

Into eighth place by lap two, the Liberty Properties-backed driver ran
incredibly competitively and progressed into sixth four laps from the
finish. Running inbetween the cars of the Moore siblings, Sarah and
David, Morris took a career best top six finish just over a 10th of a
second behind Sarah in fifth and Alex Austin in fourth.

"We're obviously pleased to see Tom on the podium and right in
the thick of the championship fight but we're all absolutely gutted
for Seb", said Hillspeed's Richard Ollerenshaw, "His
performance in qualifying and the first race was absolutely superb, he
did a tremendous job. To be taken out by a couple of cars in the second
race is bitterly disappointing and a great shame for him.

"Tom did a tremendous job to climb back into the top three in the
first race after dropping to last place on the first lap and in race two
we really did think he'd done it and passed Louise (Richardson) on
the line. Originally, the timing screens showed that he had the place but
the slow-motion replays gave it to Louise by just 0.001 seconds -- it
couldn't have been closer!"

Hillspeed is back on track two weeks from now with rounds 13 and 14 of
the 2010 Ginetta Junior Championship taking place at Silverstone National
Circuit, Northamptonshire, on 21st/22nd August.